Abstract: [Objective] To assess the number and species distribution of bacteria in the air of large-scale donkey farms and to guide the prevention and control of the bacterial diseases in the donkey farms. [Methods] Natural sedimentation method was used to collect the bacterial samples in the air inside and around the donkey houses. The bacteria were cultured, counted and identified by plate method. [Results] The total bacterial count in the air of donkey farms ranged from 8.39×10~3 to 3.43×10~4 CFU/m~3; there was higher total bacterial count in the air of nursery donkey houses（closed houses） than that of the delivery donkey houses（semi-open houses） and male donkey houses（open houses）; the lowest total bacterial count was observed in the air of male donkey houses. The pollution range of the donkey farm to the surrounding air environment was 200 m. The dominant bacterial species in the air were found as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. [Conclusion]There are diverse bacterial species in the air of large-scale donkey farms; the bacterial number inside the donkey houses is associated with their open types; the total bacterial count in the air around the donkey farms is decreased with the increase of distance from the donkey farms.